UIA in search for new boss

Thursday December 20 2018

In Summary

Mr Ajer, quit the acting role four months after he had been appointment into the rather controversial position.

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By Christine Kasemiire

Kampala. Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has started a process to recruit a new executive director to replace sacked Jolly Kaguhangire. Ms Kaguhangire, who was sacked in October after an investigation into her conduct, had been replaced by Mr Basil Ajer in acting capacity, who also resigned last month.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Emely Kugonza, the UIA chairman, told Daily Monitor that a 10-board member meeting held last Thursday had resolved to start the search for a new executive director. “The advert will run for three weeks and I think the closing date will be January 14. The shortlisting will follow,” he said, adding that successful candidates will be subjected to a rigorous process to get a suitable candidate to drive Uganda’s investment aspirations ahead. While the search has been extended outside UIA, Mr Kugonza said staff of UIA were free to apply.

Successful candidate, according to Mr Kugonza, are expected to join UIA in May. In the meantime, he said the board would appoint someone in acting capacity to replace Mr Ajer, who will be leaving in April. “We have made arrangements to have another acting executive director. The appointed person will be communicated,” he said. Mr Ajer, quit the acting role four months after he had been appointment into the rather controversial position.

In his resignation letter dated October 29, Mr Ajer indicated he would be leaving UIA on April 30, 2019, saying: “… time has come for me to explore new opportunities”. He also indicated that he will be taking his accumulated annual leave effective January 2, 2019, and offered to do his best to ensure “a smooth transition” at UIA, a semi-autonomous investment promotion and facilitation organisation in the country.

Mr Ajer, who had been the UIA director in charge of small and medium enterprises, was appointed in June following the interdiction of Ms Kaguhangire on charges of gross insubordination, incompetence, concealment, misinformation and lying to the board. At the end of October, the UIA board terminated Ms Kaguhangire’s contract with immediate effect.